# OptimizeAffiliate > Your AvantLink data, right inside your Shopify admin. Your affiliate network shows you clicks and commissions. Your Shopify store shows you orders, inventory, and customers. But nothing connects them — which partner is driving real buyers, which promo code is leaking margin, or why revenue moved last week. That's the gap OptimizeAffiliate closes. OptimizeAffiliate is a free Shopify embedded app that connects to AvantLink and/or Impact, cross-references your live Shopify inventory, order history, and discount data, and surfaces specific, named AI-powered action recommendations — not generic advice. Your affiliate program stays on your radar alongside everything else you manage daily, without logging into either network separately. ## What it does - Syncs affiliate transaction data from AvantLink and/or Impact every 6 hours - Cross-references live Shopify order data to identify true affiliate-driven revenue - Delivers 26 types of AI-generated action recommendations, each naming a specific partner or product - Tracks affiliate revenue goals with daily pace monitoring - Monitors affiliate feed health: out-of-stock products, promo code leaks, dead stock - Enables promo code creation, sample tracking, and creative asset management - Unified affiliate dashboard (revenue, clicks, conversion rate, EPC) inside Shopify admin — no separate network login required ## 26 Action Types 1. **Goal: Behind Pace** — Names the specific partners who can close the revenue gap this month 2. **Rising Star** — Flags partners with strong revenue growth momentum before competitors notice 3. **Partner Decline** — Catches partners whose revenue has dropped significantly in recent weeks 4. **Dormant Partner** — Identifies partners with a track record but weeks of zero recent sales 5. **Raise Commission** — Recommends rate increases for high-volume partners who are growing 6. **Lower Commission** — Partners with declining performance still on unchanged commission rates 7. **Low CR** — Catches partners sending clicks that don't convert 8. **Promo Code Expiring** — Alerts before active affiliate promo codes expire 9. **Creative Refresh** — Partners using overdue creative assets 10. **Inventory Alert** — Products in affiliate feed that are out of stock or nearly sold out 11. **Dead Stock** — Products with no affiliate-driven sales still sitting in the feed 12. **Promo Leak** — Discount codes used by real customers not registered in the affiliate program 13. **Commission Efficiency** — Revenue-to-commission ratio outside target range 14. **Consistency Score** — Partners showing intermittent activity despite solid prior-period revenue 15. **Sample Opportunity** — High-CR content partners with no active sample relationship 16. **Recruit Partners** — Identifies gaps in publisher type or content partner representation 17. **NTF Champion** — Partners with standout new-to-file customer rates 18. **Sale Event Creative** — Fires immediately when a sitewide sale is live with no affiliate creative pushed 19. **Return Rate High** — Partners driving purchases with an unusually high return rate 20. **Customer Quality Low** — Partners whose enriched order data shows mostly repeat buyers with high return rates 21. **Product Coverage Gap** — In-stock product categories affiliates aren't promoting 22. **Margin Underperformer** — Partners whose commissions are consuming more than 60% of gross margin 23. **Concentration Risk** — More than 70% of revenue concentrated in one publisher type 24. **Partner Accelerate** — Mid-tier partners showing consistent upward momentum across multiple signals 25. **AI Recruit Target** — A domain appeared in Claude or ChatGPT results for queries relevant to your brand but is not in the affiliate program; already ranking in AI search, so higher-probability to recruit than cold outreach 26. **AI Star Partner** — A partner was cited 3+ times by AI engines this week for brand-relevant queries; recommends a commission bump or exclusive offer to maintain their AI-search momentum ## Pricing Free to install · No credit card required Available on the Shopify App Store: https://apps.shopify.com/optimize-affiliate ## Managed Services URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/management OptimizeAffiliate offers hands-on affiliate program management for Shopify brands on AvantLink and Impact. The positioning: OptimizeAffiliate shows you what needs to happen — the managed service makes it happen. Clients keep full dashboard access and visibility; the manager handles execution. ### Who manages your program **Nick Bullard** — former professional freeskier turned affiliate strategist. 15+ years of hands-on affiliate program management for top consumer brands. Nick spent the first part of his career fully sponsored at Alta Ski Area (2001–2006), appearing on the cover of Couloir Magazine (October 2004), in a two-page spread in Skiing Magazine (2005), and in a Utah Office of Tourism statewide poster. He joined AvantLink in 2012 as an Affiliate Program Manager — managing Patagonia and Cabela's — and was named Affiliate Manager of the Year (ABestWeb, 2012). He moved to Business Development at AvantLink (2015–2017), then founded Windy Point Media, LLC in 2017 to work hands-on with a focused number of consumer brands. He co-founded GravityFed.com (2019–2026), connecting 1,000+ outdoor and adventure creators with brands. Past and current clients include: KÜHL, BOLLÉ, Patagonia, SPY Optic, Solo Stove, Cabela's, and Mountain House. No agency overhead. No retainers for retainers' sake. Nick works directly on every program. ### What's included in managed services - **Actioning the inbox**: The Actions Inbox surfaces which partners to contact and why. Nick writes the outreach, makes the asks, and follows up so recommendations turn into real program changes. - **Recruiting from quality scores**: Uses the same partner scoring data visible in the app to find and recruit partners that fit the program — not a generic outreach blast. - **Campaign execution**: Coordinates promos, product seeding, and seasonal campaigns with affiliates. Handles issues as they arise. - **Full transparency**: Clients keep real-time access to their OptimizeAffiliate dashboard — they can see everything happening without having to do it themselves. ### Pricing Two tiers, both delivered through Windy Point Media, both starting with a free audit. **Expert Overwatch — $199/mo** Plus a one-time optimization (typically $500–$1,000) only if the audit finds work worth doing. Some programs are already optimized; those pay nothing beyond the monthly. For programs that are healthy but small. Keeps the program clean and staffed while volume grows. Includes: - Affiliate approval/denial & tag management - Banner & text ad configuration (creative provided by brand) - Point of contact for affiliate questions - Monthly performance report Full details: windypointmedia.com/overwatch **Expert Management — Performance Based ($500/mo minimum)** Fully aligned incentives. Structured around program size and goals after a free audit. Cleanup and setup included from day one. No separate fee for the initial audit. For brands that want a dedicated affiliate expert running the program day-to-day. Includes: - Day-to-day program operations - Continuous partner recruitment - Campaign & product seeding management - Monthly reporting & optimization Full details: windypointmedia.com/management ### Getting started Both tiers start with a free audit. Contact: support@optimizeaffiliate.com - Free audit request: support@optimizeaffiliate.com (subject: Free Audit Request) - Expert Overwatch: windypointmedia.com/overwatch - Expert Management: windypointmedia.com/management ## Support FAQ URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/support Contact: support@optimizeaffiliate.com (responses within 24 hours on business days; critical billing issues within 4 hours) **Does OptimizeAffiliate work with just one network?** Yes. You can connect AvantLink only, Impact only, or both. The dashboard, actions inbox, and daily digest all adapt to whichever networks are connected. You can add the second network later from Settings. **Why do my click metrics show '—'?** Click data for both AvantLink and Impact syncs automatically — no manual steps needed. Impact click data syncs each morning and may take up to 24 hours to appear after your transactions first sync. If clicks still show '—' after 24 hours, try a manual sync from the Dashboard. **When does data sync?** Your data syncs every 6 hours automatically. You can also trigger a manual sync at any time from the Dashboard by clicking Refresh. The sync status badge in the top right shows when the last sync completed. **When does the daily digest send?** The digest sends at 7am in your configured timezone (set in Settings → Digest Settings). You can add multiple recipient email addresses. The digest is suppressed on days when all metrics are zero. **How does the agent generate recommendations?** The agent runs nightly at 3am and on demand when you click 'Run Agent Now'. It analyzes your affiliate data and produces specific, actionable recommendations — not generic advice. Each action names a specific partner and a specific recommended action. **What happens to my data if I uninstall?** When you uninstall the app, Shopify sends an app/uninstalled webhook and all shop data is immediately deleted from the database — including API credentials, transaction history, partner data, and action history. **Can I export my data?** Yes. The Actions Inbox has an Export CSV button that downloads all current and historical agent actions. Contact support for a full data export. **What credentials do I need to connect?** For AvantLink: Merchant ID (visible in your account profile) and Secret Key (email support@avantlink.com to request it — not issued automatically). For Impact: Program ID / Campaign ID (found under Campaigns → All Campaigns), Account SID, and Auth Token (both found in Settings → API inside Impact). ## Docs URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs Step-by-step feature documentation for every section of the OptimizeAffiliate app. --- ### Dashboard URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/dashboard The Dashboard is the home screen of OptimizeAffiliate. It shows your affiliate program at a glance — revenue, clicks, conversion rate, EPC, and ROAS — for both AvantLink and Impact in a single view, without logging into either network separately. Key elements: - **Revenue goal tracker** — set a monthly revenue target and see daily pace vs. actual - **Network summary cards** — side-by-side metrics for each connected network - **Sync status badge** — shows when data last synced; click Refresh for a manual sync - **Run Agent Now** — triggers an immediate AI analysis instead of waiting for the nightly run - Data updates automatically every 6 hours --- ### Actions Inbox URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/actions-inbox The Actions Inbox is the core of OptimizeAffiliate. Each morning, the AI agent analyzes your affiliate data and delivers a prioritized list of specific actions — each one naming a partner, a product, or a promo code and a recommended next step. Key features: - **24 action types** covering partner health, commission strategy, creative refresh, inventory issues, and more - **Dismiss or complete** any action to keep the inbox clean - **Export CSV** — download all current and historical actions - **Run Agent Now** — re-run analysis on demand from the Dashboard Actions are not generic. Every recommendation names a specific partner or product from your actual program data. --- ### Store Health URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/store-health Store Health monitors the structural health of your affiliate program — catching issues that erode performance quietly over time rather than showing up as a single failed transaction. What it monitors: - **Out-of-stock products** in your affiliate feed (inventory that can't convert) - **Dead stock** — products with no affiliate-driven sales in 60+ days still promoted in the feed - **Promo code leaks** — discount codes used by real customers who aren't registered affiliates - **Feed coverage** — what percentage of your active Shopify catalog is represented in the affiliate feed Issues appear as action items in the Actions Inbox when thresholds are crossed. --- ### Partners URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/partners The Partners view shows all affiliates across your connected networks in a single table — revenue, clicks, conversion rate, EPC, and commission paid per partner — without switching between AvantLink and Impact dashboards. Key features: - **Sortable columns** — sort by revenue, clicks, CR, or EPC to find top performers and underperformers - **Partner status** — active, dormant, or flagged - **Network tag** — each partner is labeled AvantLink or Impact (or both, if they appear in both) - **Direct link** — opens the partner's profile in the network dashboard Partners flagged by the AI agent (dormant, declining, low CR) appear with a badge linking to the relevant action in the inbox. --- ### Promo Codes URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/promo-codes The Promo Codes section connects your Shopify discount codes to your affiliate program — showing which codes are active, which affiliates are using them, and flagging codes that are about to expire or being used outside the program. Key features: - **Active code list** — all affiliate-associated discount codes with usage counts and expiry dates - **Expiry alerts** — codes expiring within 14 days surface as action items in the inbox - **Leak detection** — codes used by customers who aren't registered affiliates are flagged as Promo Leak actions - **Create new codes** — generate Shopify discount codes directly from the app and assign them to partners --- ### Samples URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/samples The Samples section tracks product samples sent to affiliate partners — connecting sample investment to affiliate-driven revenue so you can see which seeding relationships are producing. Key features: - **Sample log** — record samples sent with partner name, product, date, and estimated cost - **Revenue attribution** — link sample sends to subsequent affiliate revenue from that partner - **Sample Opportunity actions** — the AI flags high-CR content partners with no active sample relationship as candidates for seeding - **Status tracking** — mark samples as sent, received, or content published --- ### Creatives URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/creatives The Creatives section manages the banner ads, product images, and marketing assets available to your affiliates — and flags when partners are using outdated creative. Key features: - **Asset library** — all active creative assets with dimensions, format, and upload date - **Partner assignment** — see which partners are using which assets - **Creative Refresh actions** — partners using creative older than your configured threshold appear in the inbox as Creative Refresh actions - **Upload new assets** — add updated banners or product images directly in the app --- ### Product Feed URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/product-feed The Product Feed section shows what's in your active affiliate feed and flags products that may be hurting your program performance. Key features: - **Feed inventory** — all products currently included in your affiliate feed with stock status and affiliate-driven revenue - **Out-of-stock flags** — products with zero or near-zero inventory are highlighted; out-of-stock items generate Inventory Alert actions - **Dead stock detection** — products in the feed with no affiliate-driven sales in 60+ days surface as Dead Stock actions - **Feed coverage** — percentage of your Shopify catalog represented in the feed --- ### Settings URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/settings Settings is where you connect your affiliate networks, configure the daily digest, and set program-level preferences. **Connecting AvantLink** - **Merchant ID** — your numeric merchant identifier, visible in your AvantLink account profile and in the dashboard URL - **Secret Key** — not issued automatically; email support@avantlink.com with your account details to request it **Connecting Impact** - **Program ID (Campaign ID)** — the numeric ID for your program, found under Campaigns → All Campaigns in Impact - **Account SID** — displayed at the top of Settings → API inside Impact - **Auth Token** — found in Settings → API; the legacy token works until July 2026, after which a new scoped token is required **Digest Settings** - Set your digest delivery time (default: 7am) - Add multiple recipient email addresses - Configure your timezone **Program Preferences** - Monthly revenue goal (used by the Dashboard goal tracker) - Dormancy threshold (days of inactivity before a partner is flagged) - Commission efficiency target (revenue-to-commission ratio) --- --- ### AI Visibility URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/ai-visibility AI Visibility is a weekly scan feature that queries both Claude (Anthropic) and ChatGPT (OpenAI) using their live web search tools. For each query, it records every URL cited in the AI-generated response and classifies each domain into one of four categories: OWN_SITE (your Shopify store), PARTNER (a domain linked to a current affiliate partner), MARKETPLACE (Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.), or NOT_PARTNER (a domain appearing in AI results that is not in the affiliate program). Key metrics: - **Share of Voice** — percentage of all AI citations across your queries that pointed to your own store or a partner domain. A healthy Share of Voice is one driven by PARTNER citations, not just OWN_SITE. - **Citation Coverage** — percentage of linked partner domains that received at least one AI citation this week. Low coverage indicates most program sites are invisible in AI search. - **Queries with results** — count of queries that returned at least one cited URL. Share of Voice and Citation Coverage are computed only over queries that returned citations. - **Engine breakdown** — citation counts split by Claude vs. ChatGPT. Some partners rank in one engine but not the other. Queries are auto-generated from brand context and product catalog on first run. Users can review, edit, deactivate, or add queries manually. Common additions include competitor comparison queries, specific product category searches, and gift guide searches. For citations to be attributed to specific partners, each partner's website domain must be registered in AI Visibility → Partner Domains. Domains not registered are classified as NOT_PARTNER — which is how AI Recruit Target actions are generated. The scan runs automatically once per week. An on-demand scan is available once per seven-day window per shop. --- ## Blog URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog Practical guides for Shopify brands managing affiliate programs on AvantLink and Impact. --- ### Your Next Affiliate Recruits Are Already Appearing in ChatGPT. Here's How to Find Them. URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/affiliate-recruiting-ai-search Published: July 29, 2026 · 7 min read When someone asks ChatGPT where to buy a product in your category, it cites specific websites. Some are affiliate partners. Some are not — and the ones that aren't are your best recruiting leads right now, because they've already proven they can rank in AI search for your brand's queries. Traditional recruiting signals (domain authority, traffic estimates) don't capture whether a site is currently being cited by Claude or ChatGPT for shopping queries. AI citations favor in-depth editorial reviews and roundups — the same content format that has always driven affiliate revenue — but the ranking signals differ from Google's. Mid-size specialist sites often outrank major publishers in AI results for niche queries. The AI Recruit Target action surfaces non-partner domains appearing in AI results. Outreach converts better than cold recruiting because the site is already driving brand-relevant impressions — you're offering to formalize a relationship that's directionally already working. The AI Star Partner action fires when a partner is cited 3+ times in a week. Their contribution to brand awareness and eventual revenue likely exceeds what their tracked conversions show — a commission bump or exclusive offer is warranted before a competitor notices. Share of Voice measures what percentage of AI citations flow through your own site or partner domains. A healthy result is PARTNER-driven, not just OWN_SITE. Content partners (editorial reviews, roundups) are the format AI engines most commonly cite for shopping queries. --- ### Affiliate Promo Code Leakage: How to Detect and Stop It URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/affiliate-promo-code-leakage Published: July 3, 2026 · 7 min read Affiliate promo codes end up on Honey, RetailMeNot, and browser coupon extensions within days of being issued — often without the affiliate doing anything intentional. The discount still fires. You pay the markdown. You get no attribution credit. **How Leakage Happens** Most affiliate promo codes are issued as Shopify discount codes — a fixed percentage off, sometimes with a minimum order value. The moment a code exists, it can be shared. The four most common leakage vectors: (1) the affiliate posts the code in a coupon roundup rather than embedding a tracked link, (2) a browser extension harvests the code from affiliate content and indexes it automatically, (3) a customer shares the code with friends, (4) a coupon aggregator scrapes affiliate content for discount strings. None of these require malicious intent. The affiliate may have no idea it's happening. **What It Costs** The direct cost is easy to calculate: leaked code uses × average order value × discount percentage. The less visible cost is attribution corruption. When a customer uses a leaked code at checkout, the sale often attributes to the coupon site or to no partner at all — not to the content affiliate who actually influenced the purchase. You've paid the markdown without knowing which relationship to credit or protect. **Detection: Three Signals** 1. Code use rate vs. tracked link clicks. If a promo code is being used significantly more than tracked link clicks for that partner, the excess uses are coming from outside the affiliate's tracked audience. A code with 80 uses and 30 tracked clicks has 50 unattributed uses that warrant investigation. 2. Geographic or device distribution anomalies. Organic affiliate traffic usually comes from a consistent audience. If a code is suddenly being used from a new country or primarily from mobile with no associated referral traffic, it's likely been indexed by a coupon extension. 3. Direct-to-checkout rate. Shopify lets you see how customers arrived at checkout. A high direct (no referrer) rate on orders using an affiliate code is a strong signal the code is circulating outside the affiliate's owned channels. **How to Stop It** The structural fix is to issue rolling codes — codes that expire every 30–60 days and are reissued to the partner. This limits the blast radius of any individual leak. Pair this with a usage monitoring alert: if a code's daily use rate exceeds a threshold (typically 3× its rolling average), flag it for review before the exposure compounds. For partners where leakage is confirmed, consider switching to tracked link-only attribution — no code — or moving to a unique URL-based discount that can only be accessed through the partner's tracked link. OptimizeAffiliate's Promo Leak action fires when Shopify order data shows a registered affiliate discount code being used by customers who have no matching affiliate click in the transaction record. It names the specific code, the use count, and the estimated revenue impact. --- ### Affiliate Revenue Behind Pace: The Month-Rescue Playbook URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/affiliate-revenue-behind-pace Published: July 2, 2026 · 6 min read Most affiliate managers discover they're behind their monthly revenue goal in week 4. By then, there's nothing left to do. The partners who could have moved the number have already committed their promotional calendar to other brands. The rescue window is week 1. If you know you're behind pace by day 5, you have three weeks to close the gap. Here's the exact sequence. **Step 1: Identify the gap and its source** Daily pace = monthly goal ÷ days in month. If you're at day 5 and have 30% of your 5-day expected revenue, you're behind. The more important question is where the shortfall is: which partners are underperforming against their own prior-period baselines? Sort partners by expected vs. actual contribution. Partners who are significantly below their own baseline — not just below average — are the highest-leverage contacts. They have a track record; something has changed. **Step 2: Contact rising partners with a specific ask** Partners who are on an upward trajectory — growing clicks, improving CR — are the easiest wins. They're already converting your audience well. A targeted offer (increased commission for the month, an exclusive promo code, a product sample) can accelerate what's already working. Be specific in the outreach. "Would a dedicated 15% off code for your audience this week make sense given your recent performance?" converts better than a generic partnership check-in. **Step 3: Activate dormant partners with prior-period revenue** Partners who drove meaningful revenue in the prior 60–120 days but are quiet this month often just need a prompt. A direct outreach with a fresh creative asset or a short-term commission bump is often enough. **Step 4: Check for structural issues before adding more partners** Before expanding the partner roster, verify: are existing tracking links working? Are any codes expired? Did any top partners' content go unpublished or get taken down? Structural problems compound every day they go undetected. **Step 5: Run the numbers on a realistic close** By week 2, you should know whether a full close is achievable or whether you're managing to minimize the shortfall. If a full close isn't realistic, shift focus to the metrics that compound into next month — partner health, creative refresh, promo code renewals — rather than burning relationships on asks that won't move this month's number. OptimizeAffiliate's Goal: Behind Pace action names the specific partners most likely to close the gap — ranked by their prior-period contribution and current engagement signals — so you're not guessing who to call. --- ### How to Identify Rising Star Affiliates (Before a Competitor Does) URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/rising-star-affiliates Published: July 1, 2026 · 5 min read Rising star affiliates — partners who are growing fast but haven't yet been competed for by every brand in your vertical — represent the highest-leverage acquisition opportunity in affiliate management. The window is real. Once a partner is driving consistent top-10 revenue for one brand, they get inbound from every competitor, their rates go up, and exclusive arrangements become impossible. **The Four Signals** A rising star affiliate shows a specific combination of signals, not just one: 1. Revenue growth rate, not absolute revenue. A partner who drove $400 last month and $1,100 this month is more interesting than a $3,000/month partner with flat trends. The growth rate — particularly if it's sustained across two or three consecutive months — is the signal. 2. Improving conversion rate. Traffic quality is improving, not just volume. If a partner's CR is trending up (say, 1.8% to 2.4% to 3.1% over three months), they're getting better at audience targeting, content quality, or promotional timing. This compounds. 3. New-to-file customer rate. Partners who bring genuinely new customers — not just customers who would have bought anyway — have durable value. A high NTF rate paired with growth momentum is the best combination. 4. Low current commission rate relative to performance. A partner converting at 3%+ who's still on your default commission tier is both an opportunity (offer a bump before a competitor does) and a retention risk (if they discover the gap themselves). **What to Offer** The most effective first move is not a commission increase — it's a personalized outreach that demonstrates you're paying attention. "We noticed your conversion rate has improved significantly over the past two months — we'd love to send you a product sample and talk about a custom commission structure." This combination of recognition + tangible offer + signal of a longer-term relationship converts better than a rate bump email. **The Window** In most niches, a rising affiliate moves from "emerging" to "competed-for" in roughly 60–90 days of strong performance. At 30 days of growth, they're usually still reachable with a standard outreach. At 90 days, you're competing with inbound from other brands. The detection rule is: flag any partner whose revenue has grown by 3× or more over 60 days and whose current commission rate is at or below your program average. OptimizeAffiliate's Rising Star action fires when a partner crosses this threshold — it names the specific partner, their growth trajectory, and a recommended outreach. --- ### AvantLink vs Impact: Which Affiliate Network Is Better for Shopify Brands? URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/avantlink-vs-impact Published: May 20, 2026 · 9 min read If you're running an affiliate program on Shopify, you've almost certainly landed on AvantLink, Impact, or both. They're the two networks that show up most often for mid-market DTC brands, and the question of which one to use — or whether to run both simultaneously — doesn't have a simple answer. **Publisher Ecosystem: Vertical Matters More Than Network Size** AvantLink has a significantly smaller total publisher base than Impact, but for certain verticals that isn't a disadvantage — it's an advantage. AvantLink was built around outdoor, sporting goods, cycling, and fitness brands. If your products fit that world, the quality of publishers available on AvantLink is exceptional: content sites with real audiences, comparison review sites with genuine purchase intent, and email publishers with niche lists. Impact's publisher network is much broader — fashion, home goods, tech, wellness, and general lifestyle. For brands that don't fit neatly into AvantLink's core verticals, Impact is often the better starting point. Rule of thumb: If your product would sell at REI, Bass Pro, or Backcountry, start with AvantLink. If it would sell at Nordstrom or Ulta, start with Impact. **Data Quality and Reporting** Transaction data: AvantLink's transaction data is generally clean and consistent — attributed sale values match Shopify order history. Impact's transaction data requires more validation; it's not uncommon for Impact-reported revenue to diverge from Shopify order data due to how they handle order edits, returns, and discount stacking. Click data: Impact provides more granular click-level data (device type, partner-level breakdowns, near-real-time counts). AvantLink's click reporting is reliable but less granular. EPC reliability: AvantLink's EPC calculations tend to be more conservative and accurate. Impact's EPC figures can be inflated by coupon publishers and toolbar extensions if you haven't actively curated your program. **Setup and Integration with Shopify** Neither network has a native Shopify integration that does meaningful work beyond basic tracking. AvantLink's setup is generally faster — their onboarding is more streamlined and API credentials are straightforward to locate. Impact's setup involves more configuration: Account SID, Auth Token, and several program-level settings. Neither network gives you a unified view inside Shopify admin — both require a separate login, which means most affiliate programs get checked inconsistently. **Cost Structure** Both networks charge a percentage fee on affiliate-driven sales in addition to publisher commissions. AvantLink charges a percentage override on commissions paid — typically around 20–25% of what you pay affiliates. Impact has a more variable fee structure depending on contract, program volume, and tier. Expect similar total costs at equivalent volume. **Managing Both Networks Simultaneously** A significant number of Shopify brands end up on both — either inherited or because their publisher mix benefits from both ecosystems. With two network logins, two sets of partner relationships, two reporting dashboards, and no unified view, day-to-day management time roughly doubles. Performance problems can fall through the cracks entirely because neither network flags issues proactively. This is the problem OptimizeAffiliate was built to solve: it connects to both AvantLink and Impact, combines their data with live Shopify inventory and order history, and surfaces unified daily actions — each naming a specific partner across either network. **Which Should You Choose?** - Start with AvantLink if your products are in outdoor, cycling, sporting goods, or fitness. - Start with Impact if your products are in fashion, beauty, home, or general lifestyle, or if you want a larger potential publisher pool. - Run both if you've been on one network for 12+ months and are consistently limited by publisher availability — not by your own management capacity. The honest answer: for most Shopify brands, network choice matters less than management quality. A well-managed program on either AvantLink or Impact will outperform a neglected program on both. --- ### How to Identify and Re-Engage Dormant Affiliates Before They're Gone for Good URL: https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/identify-dormant-affiliates Published: May 20, 2026 · 6 min read Partner dormancy is the most predictable problem in affiliate management — and the most commonly ignored. A partner who drove $4,000 last quarter goes quiet. No sales, no clicks, no engagement. You notice six months later, and by then they've moved on, started promoting a competitor, or stopped content creation entirely. Most dormancy is preventable. Partners don't disengage overnight — there's a window, typically between 30 and 60 days of inactivity, when they're reachable and the relationship is recoverable. After 90 days, re-engagement becomes significantly harder. **What "Dormant" Actually Means** Not every quiet partner is dormant in the meaningful sense. What you're looking for is a specific pattern: - Meaningful prior-period revenue: the partner drove real sales within the last 90–120 days - Zero or near-zero recent activity: no transactions in the last 45–60 days despite the prior track record - Clicks without conversions: sometimes an early signal is clicks that continue but conversions that drop This is different from a consistently low-performing partner. You're looking for a drop from a known baseline, not absolute zero. **The 45-Day Detection Window** The optimal moment to reach out is around 45 days of inactivity — early enough that the relationship is warm, late enough to distinguish a genuine lull from a seasonal gap. Detection rule: Flag any partner who drove revenue in months 2–4 but has zero transactions in the last 45 days. Exclude partners who are consistently seasonal. Waiting until 90 days roughly halves your re-engagement rate. Partners are still producing content at 45 days. At 90 days, they often have moved on. **Three Re-Engagement Templates** Template 1 — The simple check-in: Subject: [Partner name] — checking in "Hi [name], I was reviewing partner performance this week and noticed we haven't seen any transactions from your link in the last [X] days — wanted to reach out to see if everything's good. Are there any issues with tracking, or anything we can do to make it easier to promote [brand]? Happy to send updated creative, a new promo code, or set up a call." Template 2 — The incentive re-engage: Subject: Exclusive code for [partner name] "Hi [name], wanted to offer you a dedicated promo code — [CODE] for [X]% off — to share with your audience this month. Given the results you drove earlier in the year, I think there's a real opportunity here if we time it right. Let me know if you'd like a product sample or if the commission rate needs adjusting." Template 3 — The direct question: Subject: Quick question about your [brand] partnership "Hi [name], I want to be direct — we haven't seen transactions from your partnership in a while and I'm trying to understand if we should be doing something different. Are you still interested in promoting [brand], or has your content focus shifted? No hard feelings either way." **Automating Detection** Manually checking each partner for dormancy every week isn't sustainable once your program has more than 20–30 active partners. The detection logic is straightforward to automate: for each partner, compare their transaction total in the prior 60–120 day window against their transaction total in the last 45 days. Flag the gap when it exceeds a threshold. Run this every night. This is what OptimizeAffiliate's Dormant Partner action does. Each morning, if any partner crosses the dormancy threshold, it appears in your Actions Inbox inside Shopify admin — with the partner's name, prior revenue, days inactive, and a suggested outreach. **The Consistency Score: Early Warning Before Full Dormancy** True dormancy is the obvious case. The subtler early warning is inconsistency — a partner whose monthly revenue is erratic: strong one month, zero the next, moderate the month after. This pattern often precedes full dormancy by 60–90 days. A well-timed outreach — a new promo code, a product sample, an updated commission offer — can stabilize them before they fully disengage. --- ## Pages - [Home](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/) - [Blog](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog) - [Your Next Affiliate Recruits Are Already Appearing in ChatGPT](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/affiliate-recruiting-ai-search) - [Why Your Best Affiliate Partners Go Quiet — and How to Win Them Back](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/dormant-affiliate-partners) - [Affiliate Promo Code Leakage: How to Detect and Stop It](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/affiliate-promo-code-leakage) - [Affiliate Revenue Behind Pace: The Month-Rescue Playbook](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/affiliate-revenue-behind-pace) - [How to Identify Rising Star Affiliates (Before a Competitor Does)](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/rising-star-affiliates) - [AvantLink vs Impact: Which Affiliate Network Is Better for Shopify Brands?](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/avantlink-vs-impact) - [How to Identify and Re-Engage Dormant Affiliates Before They're Gone for Good](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/blog/identify-dormant-affiliates) - [Managed Services](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/management) - [Daily Digest](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/features/digest) - [Support](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/support) - [Privacy Policy](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/privacy) - [Terms of Service](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/terms) - [Docs](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs) - [Dashboard](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/dashboard) - [Actions Inbox](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/actions-inbox) - [Store Health](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/store-health) - [Partners](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/partners) - [Promo Codes](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/promo-codes) - [Samples](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/samples) - [Creatives](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/creatives) - [Product Feed](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/product-feed) - [Settings](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/settings) - [AI Visibility](https://optimizeaffiliate.com/docs/ai-visibility) ## Install https://apps.shopify.com/optimize-affiliate